Dear Lifehacker,
We're all busy at my job, except for one person who spends all day doing god-knows-what (playing games, reading blogs, browsing Amazon) on her work computer. She tries to hide it, but it's definitely no secret. When you ask her for help, she complains about how busy she is. The rest of us are really busy, and we know she spends hours a day slacking. How do we handle this?

Sincerely,
Busy Bee

Dear Busy Bee,
I think we've all had that coworker. The good news is, you do have some options for dealing with her behavior, ranging in severity from passive aggressive to nuclear. Let's take a look.

Advertisement

First, Ask Yourself: Are They Productive?

We're going to assume two things going forward:

Your slacking coworker doesn't have the same boss that you do.

Your slacking coworker isn't getting their work done.

The reason this is important is because we want to differentiate between you talking to your boss about your concerns but not talking to their
boss about your concerns (more on this later). Also, we'll be the first ones to tell you that if your coworker is effective and productive and still has time to play Facebook games all day, it may be irritating, but you should walk away and move on.

Seriously—it can be a tough pill to swallow, but it's important to not get caught up in the issue of fairness, according to Forbes' Jacquelyn Smith. Life isn't fair, and if they can get away with slacking all day and still get rave reviews from their boss and their clients, there isn't much you can or should do about it. Focus on your own work instead. As long as their slacking isn't getting in the way of your work—which we'll address shortly—you have bigger fish to fry in your own inbox. Photo by tracy the astonishing.

Stop Covering for Them: Don't Work Around Them If You Don't Have To

Most of us are busy enough that we don't have time to deal with someone who isn't willing to do their jobs, so we go around them, especially if we know they're going to be a problem. It's important to do this when you'll ultimately be held responsible for getting the work done, but if it's not urgent, let your slacking coworker's to-dos pile up on them. Either they'll get the work done, or you can press the issue with them personally, insisting that they actually do some work and get you what you need. Worst case, escalate to their manager if it's a systemic problem: the important thing isn't how your slacking coworker spends his or her day, it's that they get their work done.

Remember, if they get their work done and slack off, move along—their slacking may be an irritant, but they're productive, even if they're lacking in the workplace etiquette department. They may know something you don't, or their boss may just hold them to a different standard than your manager holds you to. Maybe their job is a dead-end, and yours isn't. Who knows, but if they can't or won't do their jobs, then you have a problem that needs to be fixed.

Just Talk to Them: Let Them Know They've Been Noticed

Admittedly, you're not approaching this from the altruistic, "hey, I want to tell you something before you get in trouble" perspective, but that angle will work wonders if you just want to talk to your coworker about their incessant slacking. Let them know that if you've noticed, and your peers have noticed, then others—perhaps their manager or someone higher up the food chain—have likely noticed as well.

Don't take an aggressive or accusatory tone here—especially if your coworker doesn't report to you—just let them know that you've noticed their game-playing or other slacking and you're concerned that other people have noticed as well. If you're comfortable telling them, let them know that you think it's having an impact on the team as a whole, but don't say it if it's not the case—this can often put the person on the defensive. As with many things, sometimes a straightforward, honest conversation is enough to fix things, and this case is no exception. Mind you, they may just work harder to hide their slacking, especially from you, but the result is the same—you don't have to see or deal with it, and you get the results you need. Photo by john.

The Conventional Option: Talk to Your Manager

Again, assuming your manager is not the slacking coworker's manager, you may want to let off some steam to your boss. Let them know your frustrations and that you're having difficulty getting results from your coworker because she's spending all day playing Facebook games or surfing the web and not answering your emails or phone calls. Your boss may have some useful insight for you: suggestions to work around your slacking coworker, or they may be willing to speak to them for you if it's really a problem. Alternatively, they may tell you to focus on your own issues instead of pointing the finger at others—you never know, but depending on your relationship with them, they may be a good sounding board for your concerns.

Keep in mind that—especially if you don't know how your coworker does their job—what looks like slacking to you may actually be work, so give them the benefit of the doubt. That said, it's pretty tough for anyone to mistake Farmville or The Sims for any job anywhere. Some bosses will tell you to focus on your own job and don't waste your energy, other bosses may say they'll handle it and take it from there. Either way, unless you have a really friendly relationship with your boss and no relationship with the slacking coworker, don't do this until you level with the slacker first.

The Nuclear Option: Talk to Their Manager

We're loathe to even suggest this, but if things are really bad—to the point where the slacker is a serious hindrance to other people in the office getting their work done, they're a roadblock for your projects or to-dos, and they're a serious distraction, or your boss is their boss too, it might be time to just report their incessant game-playing when they should be working. We don't advise snooping on your coworker, but before you go this route you should come armed with concrete examples of your coworker's poor performance—not just hearsay.

Also, focus on how their slacking is having a negative impact on the work that needs to be done instead of just waving your hands complaining about how unfair it is that you have to work until 7pm every night while they go home at 4 after playing Farmville all day. It sucks that it's not fair, but the important thing to your boss is whether the work that needs to get done is getting done. If it's not, then they have a problem they have to deal with. Again, this should be your last resort unless you work in a pretty adversarial and unpleasant environment in the first place, and we really hope you don't. Photo by Matthew W. Jackson.

The Bottom Line: If It Doesn't Get In Your Way, Vent to Friendly Ears and Move Along

Your coworker may be no joy to work with, and it's definitely not fair that she gets to slack all day while the rest of you work your asses off, but policing her behavior—unless it's getting in your way specifically—just isn't your job. You probably have better places to turn your attention, and even though it'll suck to hear her whine about how busy she is when you press her to do some work, your best bet is to make sure you keep pressing her for the things you need and devote your time and energy to the things you have to get done instead. Besides, we're all a little guilty of slacking on the job from time to time.

If she really is a distraction or a roadblock, then you have a real, quantifiable problem that needs to be addressed, but you can probably fix it by just leveling with her and letting her know that she's being difficult to work with. Remember, it may not seem fair, but if the tables were turned, wouldn't you want someone to just level with you, calmly and honestly, before tattling to your boss? Be an adult and use management as a last resort.